Submersible vessel tob navigation otdeb ice



Jul 1 1924.

v S. LAKE SUBMBHSIBLE VESSEL FOR NAVIGATION UNDER 10E Filed Sent. 10. 1920 ga /W titre: nu

Patentedduly 1, 1924.

' UNIT STAT-es p 1,500,000 1'95 E T OFFICE.

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15 Application flled'september 10, 1920. Serial No. 40937 1.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a, citizen of the United States residing at- Milford, in the county of New I-laven and State of C011 6 nocticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement ,in Submersible Vessels for Navigation Under Ice, of which the following is afu-ll, clear, and exact description. This invention relates broadly to sub-- 1 marine or submersible vessels, and more particularly tosuchvessels adapted for navigation underfields of ice; i

Oneobject of the" invention is to provide a submersible cargo-carrying vessel, suitable for transportation v of goods in extreme northern latitudes where, for alarge portion of the year, the water is covered with a sheet of ice of ":suchthickness "and strength 1 '-'as to -make-navi" tionwith ordinary surface vessels impossilie; f

It is obviousthatdce may be more easily broken by ress'ure' applied from beneath than fronr'a ove" as is the casein the use of surface vessels, because the air above ofi'ers less resistance than the water and, therefore, another ob'ect of the invention is to provide a vessel 0 the type above mentioned with means whereby in addition to its ability to travel under icef'it is capable'of rising to the surfaceand crushing its way'through ice of moderate thickness but of such thickness aswould prohibit the use of a surface vessel of ordinary construction, and continuing its course upon the surface by plowing its way through the ice field. v

The invention consists in a submarine or submersible vessel provided on its upper deck with a superstructure of substantially ordinary construction but having at its for- 4" ward and after ends ice breaking and crushing plows. and provided also with a plowshaped telescoping steersmans station and air intake, all as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vessel showing the device of mv invention, said vessel being shown in condition for surface navi gation. Fig. 2 shows the same vessel submerged and crushing its way through a field of ice. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the general outline of the super structure with itsplows and steersmans station. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic section of the vesseltaken in the plane-of line44, Fig. 3 and showing indotted lines the ice field being crushed. Fig. 5' is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken in the plane of line 5-5, Fig. 3, and showing the general plow-- like surface contour of the ice crushing plows. 1

--The vessel'comprises a hull 1 provided with asuperstructurefl having extending from it fore and aft the plows 3. and provided slightly forward ofits amidships portion with a, telescoping steersmans station and air intake 4, of such shape as to enable it to throw aside obstructions, su'chas the ice crushed by the plows-3, and provided with observation ports 5 through which a view may be hadin alldirections.

In Fig. l the vessel isshown'as-provided with-masts '6 for-supporting the wireless appa'ratus 7, and it is also provided with-the usual periscopes 8 and breathing tube 9 and a suitable railing 10, the masts, periscopes, breathing tube and railing being, of telescopingor folding construct-ion so as to be stowed out of the way when the vessel is to be navigated below thesurface.

In operating submerged, the vessel will be given sufficient positive buoyancy to raise its superstructure through the ice indicated at 11, the forward or backward motion of the vessel bringing the plows in contact with the ice and causing them to crush it and raise it and turn it back upon the field in much the same manner as a plow turns back earth out of a furrow, thereby cutting a lane through the ice field through which the superstructure and the steersmans station mounted thereon may pass.

Where ice is encountered of such thickness that the vesselcannot force its way upward through it, or cannot plow its way through from the outside edge of the field or flee, the steersmans station may be telescoped to a position flush with the upper surface of the superstructure and the vessel may proceed along under the ice, sufficient buoyancy being given it to keep the'upper surface of the superstructure in contact with the under surface of the ice field, and any irregularities on the under surface of the ice field will be first encountered by'the shelving prow 12 of the vessel, which will cause it to ride smoothly under such projection, and the projection will then come in contact with the forward plow 3 which will cause the vessel again to ride under such projection, it being obvious mans station and other devices which are adapted to-be lowered from and raised to their above-board positiomas this forms no part of my invention and maybe done in a number of well-known ways.

' It is to be understood that I do not consider-myinvention as limited to, the particular details of construction herein shown and described, as it is obvious that various changes may" be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scopehof the following claims.

1. In asubmersible vessel, a hull, a su erstructure mounted thereon and exten ing above the-upper surface thereof, and a plow extending from said superstructure.

2; In a submersible vessel, a hull, a superstructure'mounted thereon, andice-breaking plows extending fore and aft from said superstructure.

3. In a'submersible vessel, a hull, a'superstructure" mounted thereon, ioe breaking plows extendingfrom said superstructure,

and a plow connected wit 1 said superstructure and extending forwardl thereof, the

forward end of semi plow being flush with said deck and its after end being flush with the upper surface of said superstructure.

5. n a submersible vessel, a hull, a deck, a superstructure mounted upon and extending above said deck and provided with lows extendin fore and aft, the portions 0 said lows a jacent said superstructure being ush with the upper surface of said superstructure, said plows being inclined fore and aft from said superstructure to said deck.

' 6. In a submersible vessel, a hull, a superstructure provided with a steerslnans station, a plow extending from said superstructure and adapted to break an ice sheet covering the water navi ated, said steersnmns station being of Sn stantially cigar-shape and adapted to turn aside ice broken by said plow to facilitate the passage of the vessel thron h the thus broken ice.

7 f n a submersible vessel, a hull, a deck. and a plow risin above the plane of said deck and adapts to break ice covering the water to be navigated by said vessel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto s01 my hand this 7th day of September, A. D.

SIMON LAKE. 

